Texas AG sues Planned Parenthood to recoup $10M in Medicaid reimbursements

 By Catherine Livingston, PhD - Posted at LiveAction:

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wants to recoup $10 million from abortion giant Planned Parenthood, and has filed a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood Federation of America along with a number of Planned Parenthood affiliates in Texas, spanning most of the state’s Planned Parenthood providers. The suit seeks the recovery of $10 million in payments made by the Texas Medicaid program. The Texas Tribune reports:

In 2016, Texas officially filed to remove Planned Parenthood as a Medicaid provider, setting off a lengthy legal battle. Planned Parenthood immediately asked the courts to intervene, and a federal district court blocked the state’s notice of termination in 2017, allowing Planned Parenthood to continue to seek reimbursement through Medicaid.

But in November 2020, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision, allowing Texas to proceed with removing Planned Parenthood as a provider. Planned Parenthood then filed an emergency lawsuit saying the state had not followed proper procedures, and a state judge issued a temporary restraining order.

Ultimately, in February 2021, the state prevailed, bringing to an end Planned Parenthood’s attempts to remain on the Medicaid rolls.

However, Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood were still made during the three years of “legal and administrative proceedings.” It is these payments that the AG is seeking to recover.

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